Common cold


Is it good for pregnant women to use moxibustion for a cold?
When pregnant women experience cold symptoms, they can use moxa fumigation. For example, if a woman has a cold, cough, or nasal congestion, moxibustion can be used to help relieve some symptoms. Moxa is purely herbal and harmless to the human body, and it has little effect on the baby. Moxa sticks can purify the air and sterilize, and clinically, they are mainly used to treat some chronic gynecological diseases. During pregnancy, moxa fumigation is possible, but it is not recommended to use moxibustion on the Hegu acupoint, as this point can easily cause uterine contractions. Additionally, try to avoid using moxa sticks on acupoints.


Is a sore throat caused by a cold with wind-cold or a cold with wind-heat?
Sore throat may be caused by a cold due to wind-cold or wind-heat, which are terms used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, from a Western medicine perspective, both wind-cold and wind-heat colds are caused by viral infections, and in rare cases, bacterial infections. When bacteria or viruses invade the respiratory tract's mucous membranes, especially the mucous membranes of the throat, it leads to congestion and swelling of the throat mucosa, increased exudation of inflammatory secretions, resulting in symptoms such as sore throat, throat discomfort, and coughing up phlegm. Therefore, a sore throat could be due to a cold caused by wind-cold or wind-heat. In such cases, it is appropriate to take some anti-cold medications or some Chinese patent medicines to alleviate the symptoms.


Is kidney qi deficiency prone to colds?
Patients with insufficient kidney qi are more likely to catch colds. This is because a deficiency in kidney qi can affect vitality, leading to slower bodily functions. Insufficient nurturing of vitality results in lethargy, lack of sleep, and reduced memory, thereby increasing the susceptibility to colds. This is especially true for male patients, where severe deficiency in kidney qi can lead to symptoms such as impotence and premature ejaculation. Additionally, it leads to lower bodily resistance and insufficient yang qi, as well as cold aversion, thus timely treatment is essential.


How to treat a viral cold
How to treat viral colds depends on whether it is an epidemic flu or a common cold. If it is just a common viral cold, special treatment is generally not needed. Pay attention to rest, ensure sufficient good sleep and appropriate indoor temperature and humidity. By drinking more boiled water and eating more vegetables, you can naturally recover. If it is epidemic flu, you can choose to take antipyretic analgesics and antiviral drugs to relieve symptoms. You can take Qingkailing, combined with acetaminophen, vitamin C, Yinqiao tablets, and other medications. Note: Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.


The difference between rhinitis and the common cold.
There are certain differences between rhinitis and the common cold, mainly in the following aspects: Firstly, it is important to know that acute rhinitis refers to the common cold, as written in medical textbooks. However, some types of rhinitis are different, such as chronic rhinitis which is a chronic disease, not an acute illness like the common cold. Allergic rhinitis also includes symptoms such as sneezing, clear nasal discharge, and nasal congestion, very similar to those of a cold, but allergic rhinitis is an allergic disease, not a viral infection like the common cold. There are also other diseases, such as atrophic rhinitis, where the nasal cavity is very wide, whereas in a cold, caused by a viral infection, the nasal passages are very narrow, and these conditions are very different. Therefore, clinically, treatment should be based on different causes, treating colds as colds and rhinitis as rhinitis.


Which department should I go to if I have a cold during pregnancy?
When pregnant and catching a cold, one should visit the gynecology department or the respiratory department for treatment. During a cold, it is advisable to drink plenty of water and rest more. Medication during pregnancy needs to be cautious to avoid arbitrary use, especially of hormones and antiviral drugs. Medication should be decided under the guidance of a doctor, based on specific symptoms, timing of pregnancy, and related examinations. Generally, it is possible to take vitamin preparations or traditional Chinese medicine aimed at symptomatic treatment. In the mid to late stages of pregnancy, there are generally more options for choosing medications compared to the early stages, where primarily vitamin supplements are selected to help restore body functions.


Why do colds cause headaches?
Why does a cold cause headaches? A cold is a viral infection, and the inflammation stimulates the body's temperature regulation center, causing immune-related fever, which leads to complications such as fever, headache, and limb pain. Additionally, a cold can cause symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, and tearing, which can also pull and cause forehead pain. Therefore, whether the headache is caused by any of these reasons, one can choose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic medications to relieve the symptoms. At the same time, treatment should also be paired with symptomatic medication and antiviral drugs for a targeted approach.


Can you exercise when you have a cold?
After catching a cold, it is appropriate to engage in some mild exercise, such as walking or slow-paced walking. It is crucial not to partake in intense physical activities as they can lead to fatigue and a decrease in immunity, potentially worsening bacterial infections. Moreover, intense exercise can cause the sweat pores to expand, further aggravating cold symptoms. After a cold, the body tends to be weaker, so it is advisable to drink more ginger sugar water, rest adequately, and avoid spicy, greasy, and irritating foods. Drinking plenty of water is also important. If there are symptoms of fever, physical methods should be used to reduce the fever.


How to quickly alleviate the discomfort of a cold?
In treating a cold, it is important to select symptomatic medications. If symptoms such as discomfort, body ache, or fatigue are caused by a fever, appropriate fever-reducing measures should be taken based on the severity of the fever. If the body temperature does not exceed 38°C, physical cooling methods such as wiping the palms, soles, neck, and chest with warm water can be used. If the fever is high, antipyretic analgesic medications should be chosen. In addition, symptomatic treatment with vitamin supplements and medications that suppress gland secretion can help alleviate discomfort.


How to alleviate dizziness from a stomach cold?
Gastrointestinal cold is a common type of cold seen clinically, primarily due to low immune function in patients, viral infections, leading to varying degrees of nasal congestion, runny nose, fever, dizziness, and cough, as well as some gastrointestinal discomfort symptoms like appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, and diarrhea. For patients with gastrointestinal cold, fever can inevitably cause varying degrees of dizziness, and some patients may experience severe dehydration due to diarrhea caused by the gastrointestinal cold, leading to electrolyte imbalance, which can also cause dizziness. Therefore, for dizziness caused by a gastrointestinal cold, the first step is to control the body temperature back to normal, then appropriately rehydrate. If the patient already has electrolyte imbalance, it should be timely corrected, generally relieving the symptoms of dizziness caused by the gastrointestinal cold.